


Who You Really Are

by sorrowful_abyss



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Angst, Gen, Skye | Daisy Johnson-centric
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-04-19
Updated: 2015-07-14
Packaged: 2018-03-24 18:33:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 19,554
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3780094
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sorrowful_abyss/pseuds/sorrowful_abyss
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>All Skye wanted was to seek answers about her past. She searched long and hard for her family, only to learn the ugly truth of why she was left in an orphanage. When she thought that she finally found a place where she could belong, a painful truth may take that away from her too. Loyalties are tested. And it's up to Skye to choose which side she's going to trust. (Set after 2x03)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The First

**Author's Note:**

> this fanfic is based after the events of 2x03. i have always been curious about who her parents are. so yeah... this is my take on it. i'm kinda slow so please bear with me. you can also find this fanfic at fanfiction.net where i originally posted it and still updating there.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How will Ward's sudden revelation about her father affect Skye?

_"Your father's alive. He's looking for you."_

It's been hours since her talk with Ward, but his words kept on replaying in her head. She was rattled, that she cannot deny. She hadn't expected this sudden revelation coming from the man whom she once considered her SO.

It should be easy to think of it as a lie. Why shouldn't it be? He betrayed her and the team, he hurt her friends, and he even took advantage of her feelings for him... But, for some reason, she just couldn't. She didn't know what it was that made her believe in his words. Was it because he promised her that he would only tell her the truth or because, deep down, she always believed that somehow her parents were alive.

And now, after hearing him say the one thing that she so deeply wondered for so many years, she felt that her hoping for them to be alive wasn't as hopeless as she thought. Her parents, or well, her father, is alive. And he's been looking for her.

"It's okay to feel overwhelmed." a voice pulled Skye back from her thoughts.

"M-May." Skye stuttered when she turned and found her new SO leaning against the wall, studying her. Skye shook her head lightly, trying to clear her head from the issue that was bothering her. "Overwhelmed? Overwhelmed about what?" she then asked.

"Shooting Donnie Gill." May replied. "You've been looking at that target with such intensity. So I presumed that that's what it's troubling you. Unless you're imagining that the target is Ward again?" she said as she gently walked towards Skye.

Skye looked at May, confused, before realizing where she was. She had no idea how she ended up at the shooting range, or why her feet even brought her here. But here she was, and staring at the target she was. Skye just shrugged.

May studied the young agent. "Is everything alright?"

"Yeah." Skye said too eagerly, resulting for May to give her a more suspicious look. "I mean, yes. Why wouldn't anything be alright? And, yeah, you got me, I was picturing the targets to be Ward since I'm not really supposed to think of the targets as targets when I'm actually going to put a bullet through it."

May sighed. "And here I thought you've become a better liar."

"Damn." Skye muttered.

"Well?"

"Okay. It's just that... I'm confused... Earlier I..." she paused, unsure how to start it or if she even wanted to share it to anyone just yet. After a long pause, she sighed. She decided that she didn't want to make the team worry about something that Ward told her. Something that could be a lie but to which she is a hundred percent certain that is true.

"There is still no news about Donnie." Skye then said, choosing to divert her worry to another topic. It wasn't a lie. She was worried about Donnie. The memory of pulling the trigger and of Donnie falling from the cargo ship haunted her. And since May had been bringing up Donnie every chance she got, why not finish the talk once and for all. For some reason, although it felt that May thought of her weak after incapacitating someone, she was glad that she could at least talk to her SO about one of the issues that was burdening her. "If he's dead..."

"If he's dead, he's dead." May finished, which took Skye by surprise. "It's okay to feel guilty; to mourn even. But you should understand that sometimes you just have to do things that goes against your nature, not because it's the right thing to do, but because you had to." She said and gave Skye a sympathetic look. "You shot him. And he may have died because of the shot, but it's not because you wanted to kill him. It's because you had to in order to save people." May said as she placed a hand on Skye's shoulder. "You shot him, Skye. You didn't murder him. Those two things are different." May said before adding, "Don't forget that, Skye."

Skye could only nod.

Seeing that the young agent seemed to be still a little bit rattled by the earlier event, May reached for the earmuffs and handed them to Skye.

"Practice." May said and pointed to the target.

"Seriously?" Skye said. It took her by surprise that May would ask her to do something after informing her how disconcerting she felt.

"I don't care if you're going to sulk all day." May started.

"Of course you don't." Skye said under her breath as she rolled her eyes.

May just ignored her. "It's never going to be easy. From here on, it's going to get harder and harder. So hard that you'd want to give up. But this is our job. Your job. And we need you to stay focused." May said and grabbed one of the gun from the armory. She took hold of Skye's hand and placed the gun on it. "Take all your frustration out on the target as you practice. But remember, you're aiming to shoot, not to kill."

Skye nodded. She put the earmuffs on and locked her eyes on the target.

May gave her a reassuring nod before she left her subordinate to practice.

* * *

 

"Like I've told you, my ex really thinks I'm useless." Skye heard Hunter say in reply to something Mack said as she approached the team. Fitz was sitting at the corner, his eyes locked on a prototype he and Mack are trying to perfect but Skye knew better where his focus really were.

"You keep bringing up your wife. If I didn't know better, I'd think you actually miss her." Skye teased while she searched the fridge for any refreshment. The only thing that she could find was a bottle of water.

Hunter forced a chuckle. "Ha. That's funny."

"Please. It's hilarious." Skye said as she sat at the empty seat next to Hunter. She untwisted the cap of the bottle and almost finished the entire content in just one gulp.

"Easy there, koala." Hunter said. "What? Was there a wildfire where you came from?"

"Now, that's funny." Mack chuckled.

Skye just rolled her eyes. "I was at the range, practicing. And when I looked at the time, more than half an hour has gone by. So yeah, I'm thirsty."

"Woah. That's a lot of ammo you've spent practicing with." Hunter said and looked at Mack. "Didn't you jus told me that we're below the required inventory?"

"I did." Mack confirmed. "But it's fine. The director wouldn't mind it as long as it's Skye who spent the ammo."

"Oh, right. I forgot that she's his protegee."

"And I think you forgot that 'she' is sitting right here." Skye glared at Hunter. "And please, I'm nobody's prodigy."

"Oh please. You didn't go to the Academy, and yet you're currently one of the top field agents in Coulson's team. So yeah, you're the protegee."

"Call me that again and I'm going to use the remaining ammo on you."

"Why can't you just threaten me like a normal girl would do?" Hunter said. "There's too much testosterone already. It gets kinda boring."

"May's a girl." Skye said.

"May's a woman. And she's totally on a different level." he said in a very serious tone.

"Well, if only Simmons-" Skye stopped when she remembered that Fitz was sitting at one corner of the room. "Well. I guess you just have to get used to it." she then said only to get a frustrated grunt from Fitz before the young scientist scrambled to his feet and left the room while shaking his head disapprovingly.

"Great. " Skye sighed, exasperated with herself before standing up.

"Let him be." Mack said. "The kid's better off left alone."

"But-" Skye started but one look from Mack told her that she shouldn't go after Fitz. She nodded. "Well, I need some fresh air. Today hasn't really been good to me." she said before leaving the room.

* * *

 

"How did she take it?" Coulson asked as he watched his young agent walk out of the room before switching off the monitor.

"I didn't tell her." May said. "Skye was still a little bit shaken when I found her."

"I suppose that's for the best. The kid has too much on her plate right now. The whole team actually." he said and looked at May. "What did she say about Simmons?"

"She's worried about her, but she understands that you needed a source from the inside."

"Is she mad at me?"

"Yes."

"You should really try to practice on your approach. Sometimes you're too direct." Coulson said, then sighed. "Should I have told her?"

"No. She would've talked you out of it. Maybe she would have even volunteered herself just to protect Simmons." May said. "Just as you are trying to protect her."

Coulson nodded. "But I don't really want to lie to her."

"If I told her about Donnie, I wouldn't know how to comfort her." May replied.

"That's true." Coulson agreed. "It was a good thing that it was one of our agents that found his body. His power went rogue when Skye shot him. He was solidified when they brought him at one of the labs. We don't know if his powers encased him in ice to protect him, but we aren't getting any vital signs." he paused. "As long as there isn't any development, Skye can't learn that Donnie is in one of our labs. She can't see him like that."

"I understand." May said and added, "The first kill, after all, is the hardest one to move on from."


	2. Flowers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In her quest for the truth, Skye suddenly realizes that her chances to find her father may not be so slim at all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> disclaimer: i own nothing just this concept

"Tell me." Skye said as soon as the wall that separated her from the man they hold under custody disappeared.

Ward, who was lying on his hard bunk, turned his attention to the source of the voice. There, looking uncertain more than he had ever seen her before, stood Skye.

"If that's what you want." he said as he slowly sat on his bed. His eyes locked on Skye, absorbing the beauty that he can now just only mesmerize at as he will forever regret for breaking the trust that he so desperately try so hard to gain back.

"How did you learn about my father?" she asked without any reservation. "Who told you?"

An 'ahh' escaped from Ward's lips, surprised at her promptness but expecting it nonetheless.

"And if I tell you, what are you going to do with the information?" he answered, trying to prolong the visit. Knowing Skye, as soon as he gives her the answer, she will leave, and that was something he was trying to delay.

Being locked up in this make-shift prison cell with no one but himself and with no source of entertainment, Ward seek for human interaction.

It was new to him - that feeling of wanting companionship. He was trained to work alone, and he was good at it. But ever since he opened himself up to the girl standing a few meters away from him, he pitied his former self. He wanted, sometimes even needed, to have someone around, but more deeply was the need for Skye's presence.

Skye crossed her arms in front of her in a very stubbornly manner. "Whatever it is that I'm going to do about this information does not concern you."

"Knowing you, you'd probably do something stupid." Ward said. "And I cannot let you do something that might get you in danger. So, yes. It does concern me."

"You lost the right to care about me the moment you decided to kill Fitz and Simmons."  
Ward stood up, walked to the edge of his cell, and looked straight to Skye's eyes. "I never meant to hurt them, I tried to give them a chance to survive. I didn't want to hurt them, to hurt yo-"

"The damage is done, Ward." Skye cut him off and paced around the room. She was uncomfortable to talk about this topic but more so when he kept on trying to make her feel like he still cared about her. "SHIELD has fallen apart because of what you've done... and so has our team." Skye said the latter part in a whisper.

"You cannot seriously keep holding me responsible for everything." he said, surprised at the accusation in her voice. "I thought we were passed that."

"I thought we were." she said then sighed defeatedly. She reached for the seat and sat down. "Look..." she trailed off, founding difficulty on where she should start with her thoughts.

Ward watched her as she buried her face in her hands. Whatever it was that was bothering her made her look weak in that moment, and it hurt him to know that he had something to do with it.

"I want you to tell me who told you about my father." Skye looked up, and there was some kind of authority in her voice that Ward hadn't heard before. "And I'm not asking."

"You almost sound like May." Ward teased but failed miserably when he did not get the reaction he wanted from Skye. He sighed. "I can't."

"And why not?"

"Because, like I said, you're going to do something stupid and I can't let you do that."

"Why would you tell me about him in the first place if you're just going to leave me hanging?" Skye asked.

"Because if you're going to do something stupid, I want you to do it with me." Ward admitted causing Skye to be taken by surprise. He noticed it, how her body tensed all of a sudden by his words. He saw it and he was glad to see it.

"It seems like this conversation won't go anywhere." Skye stood up while trying to avoid any eye contact with him.

"Wait." Ward called after her.

Skye stopped on her tracks, but did not turn to face him.

"I will tell you, but I need you to promise me that you will not do anything reckless." Ward said slowly, enunciating every word as clearly as he could.

This made Skye look at him.

"Raina." he said.

"Flowers?" she said, confused. "How does she know about my father?"

Ward shook his head. "That I don't know."

But Skye ignored him, another question forming in her mind. "Wait. I don't get it. How... how did she know that I was his daughter in the first place?"

Ward clenched his jaw. This was the one thing he was trying to avoid. He could come up with a lie, tell her that Raina was going through the data Skye encrypted and stumbled upon the retracted file about Skye's birth. But he couldn't, not after he promised her that he would only tell her the truth. But, at the same time, how can he explain to her that it was her DNA that made Raina solve the puzzle of Skye's identity. And, most importantly, how can he explain to her that the monsters who were responsible of the death of all the people in that village and of the agents that were trying to protect her were her parents. How can he tell her all that without destroying Skye.

"Well?" Skye demanded.

"I told you all that I know." Ward chose to lie instead. "Now it's your time to keep your promise. Don't do anything stupid."

Skye turned for the door before saying, "Oh, you know me. I'm not really good with promises." and with that, the wall between them reappeared, isolating Ward once more.

"Skye!" Ward yelled her name as he banged his fists on the wall. "Skye!" he yelled and yelled, but no matter how many times he shouted her name, the young agent did not come back.

* * *

"Where have you been?" Hunter asked Skye the moment he saw her enter the dining room.

"Just out." Skye lied only to notice Fitz stare at her with knowing looks.

"Doesn't matter. You're here now." Hunter said and cocked his head to signal Skye to follow him.

Skye exchanged glances with Fitz before following Hunter out of the room. Fitz followed suit.

"What's going on?" she panted as she tried to keep up with him.

"Coulson has a mission for us. And may I add, Hallelujah." he smirked. "Anyway, he's been waiting for us, for I don't know how many minutes now."

"Sorry to keep you waiting, your royal pain in the ass."

Hunter just fake-grinned at her.

"Found her." he announced when they entered Coulson's office.

"Glad you could join us." Coulson said with a small smile without meeting Skye's eyes. He felt guilty for keeping the information regarding Donnie from the young agent. And if he were to make eye contact with the girl, he was afraid that she might guess that he was keeping secrets. And the last thing he could afford is for her to start snooping around and find Donnie in the frozen state that he was currently in.

May nodded at Coulson, silently asking for permission to start the briefing. Coulson nodded in response.

"We got information about the whereabouts of the Obelisk." May said.

"This news doesn't excite me at all." Hunter murmured, the memory of what happened to Izzy and to Idaho still fresh to him.

"We do not have the exact location, but if our source is telling the truth, then it is worth to check it out."

"Telling the truth?" Skye frowned. "What does that even mean?"

"Well..." Coulson trailed off. "I wouldn't really rely on her even if she was the last person alive. Besides, she isn't really one of us. More of a third party seeking for help when she's at stake."

Skye and Hunter exchanged glances. Trip and Mack, who were both sitting silently at the room both shrugged their shoulders, clueless too of whom they were talking about. Fitz was still watching Skye, his faux Simmons whispering to him that the other agent was keeping secrets from all of them.

May, tired of the theatricality of Coulson, sighed. "Raina. He meant Raina."

Coulson looked at May disappointedly. "You just had to ruin the suspense, didn't you?"

  
"Raina?" Hunter said, a bit confused.

"The flower girl." Trip said, as if that would explain everything, and it did because both Mack and Hunter nodded their heads in understanding. May just rolled her eyes.

The team started to talk about how they were going to extract the object and what security measures they were going to take. Except for Fitz, whose eyes were locked on Skye the entire time.

Fitz stood by the door, listening to what faux Simmons was telling him.

"She's keeping something." Faux Simmons said. "Look at her. She gets so panicky at the smallest sound."

Fitz nodded weakly. He noticed it too, and it's quite a surprise that he was the only one. The rest of the team wouldn't have noticed it, not unless they've known the agent for as long as he knew her. But for May and Coulson not noticing how weird Skye had been acting in the past few days was puzzling him.

And he saw it - the reaction she had when Raina's name was mentioned. Her whole body tensed by the sound of that name. But it was her expression that worried Fitz. The look on her face, the look that Skye had now on her face was something that bothered him.

  
It was a look that told him that she's planning to do something that might get her in trouble.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for reading this story :)


	3. Playhouse Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After finding out that Raina may know the whereabouts of her father, Skye volunteers to be assigned on a mission - a mission that just so happens to have to do with Raina. Will Skye go against protocol just to learn the truth, or will she tell the team what really is bothering her and ask for their help?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> disclaimer: i own nothing just this concept

It was no surprise to Fitz when he heard Skye asked May and Coulson for permission to be on the field for this extraction mission. She was only supposed to give the team assistance with the security details if it ever required but she insisted that she could also do the job even if she was at the location herself.

At first, Coulson declined her but May talked him out of it, explaining that it was a good thing that she was volunteering, saying that it might help keep her focus away from Donnie, still thinking that the young agent was bothered by it.

Unknown to them all, Skye had an ulterior motive as to why she wanted to be there when they extract the obelisk. If everything that Ward said was true about his father being alive, then she had to confront Raina no matter what.

"Remember." Coulson said as he handed May, Skye and Hunter gloves. "Do not touch the obelisk without these."

"Are we even sure that gloves will protect us from whatever that thing does?" Hunter asked as he secured the gloves on his hands.

"No." Coulson said with a smile. "That's why I am counting on you to be the one to test it out."

Hunter looked at Coulson, dumbfounded.

"Don't worry." May said. "I'll be there to cut your arm off if the gloves don't work."

Hunter chuckled nervously at the two superiors but found himself go rigid when he realized they were serious. "You're monsters. You guys are monster. Are you sure you don't know who my ex is, because it's like she put you into this."

Skye rolled her eyes. "Take a shot every time he mentions his ex." she muttered as she adjusted the straps of her gloves.

Mack who was checking the amount of ammo that they were going to use raised his cup of coffee.

"You, sweetheart, have the worst sense of humor."

"I've been told the opposite." Skye smirked.

"Okay, so let's go through the plan one more time." Coulson said.

"About the plan about you cutting my arm off? No thanks." Hunter said.

"No." Coulson replied. "About the plan wherein I check in first with Raina. See why she contacted us in the first place. If I think what she's saying is true, that is the only time that you may check the location of the obelisk." then, for some unknown reason, he found himself staring at Skye. The young agent didn't so much as budge the moment their eyes met, as if her mind didn't even register the importance of this permission, as if her mind was taking under consideration other things - things that for some reason differ from the mission he was currently talking about.

It was a short pause before he resumed debriefing the team. But he knew May noticed it, for she also glanced at the young agent and the expression she had once her eyes settled on Skye reflected his just a moment ago. When he had nothing more to add, he dismissed the team and gave them enough time to gather the supplies they needed for the mission. May just walked calmly to his side.

"I don't feel comfortable with this mission." Coulson admitted. "Not only are we depending on the words from a girl whose loyalty only lies to herself, but we are also dealing with the obelisk." he paused and watched his team. "And even if Raina is telling the truth, this could still be a trap. And, we still don't know why exactly she would give us such valuable information if she went all the trouble to get the obelisk in the first place."

"You think she wants something in exchange?" May asked.

"Yes." Coulson replied. "But what?"

He tried to think of the many things that SHIELD is keeping guard, but none so far had taken the girl's interest as much as the GH325 nor had she mentioned anything at all. So he wondered what it was that Raina wanted, but released a sigh as soon as he couldn't think of any. He surveyed the team for one last time before he told them that it was time for them to go.

* * *

Raina was already at the place where Coulson had agreed to meet her, but she had arrived early. She waited for the time as she sat inside a car with tinted windows. Her eyes darting to the children's playhouse located next to the meeting place.

" _Bring me my daughter."_

Was all the doctor said. It was a simple order, but under those simple words lied a deathly could only shudder at the thought of whatever might happen to her if she won't be able to bring him his daughter. She would do this, she promised him, and even if she hadn't, she needed Skye either way. She wanted to know how the obelisk works, and the only way he would show it to her was if she would bring him what he so deeply wanted.

That was why she decided to call Coulson. She knew that he and his team were after the obelisk, and she also knew about how much he cared for Skye. But for what price would he so willingly hand her to them. That she did not know and was soon to find out.

When the time was almost near, she rounded around the area then parked the car behind the playhouse. As she walked to the agreed location, she tried to recall her plan.

Coulson was already sitting at one of the benches, casually pretending to read a newspaper. How cliché, she thought. But kept her face neutral as she approached him. She knew that he wasn't alone. She scanned the area and knew the moment that she spotted the mobile pet clinic that that was where the rest of team were hiding. This time it was harder for her to keep herself from smiling.

"And here I was, expecting to have agents crawling every yard of this park." she teased as she sat at the opposite end of the bench, her eyes still scanning the area for other possible threat. "I am offended at how lax the security is. But I am quite glad at how at ease you are around me. I hope that says something about our relationship."

"It says nothing." Coulson replied.

Raina faced him, and pouted. "You could at least pretend that you're excited to see me."

"We both know why we're here." Coulson said and smiled at her, but his smile did not reach his eyes. "And it has nothing to do with catching up. So unless you want me to change scenery to a much more secure and claustrophobic environment, I think it's best you start talking."

"I do miss the bus." she joked humorlessly, but soon went serious and said, "The obelisk is dangerous. With just one touch, it can kill you."

"We already figured that out." Coulson said but Raina ignored him.

"That is why I placed it somewhere open." she noticed him tense. "I put it somewhere where curious minds go. Anyone could just touch it, whether it is by accident or not. And I know for a fact that children are very curious beings."

"Where is it?" Coulson demanded, his tone alarmed. She looked at him before her attention shifted, he followed her gaze. His eyes falling on the children's playhouse. "You're not serious." he snapped as he watched parents accompanying their children go inside it.

"Don't worry, nobody has died yet." Raina said matter of factly as she pulled her sleeve to reveal her watch, with its screen revealing a deactivation switch. For what, Coulson did not know. "There is a force field surrounding it right now, and as long as the force field is up, it will stay invisible and out of reach, if we put it simply."

"Why are you telling me this? I could just easily take off that watch of yours and interrogate you."

"You can do that, but I wouldn't if I were you." she replied. "You see, if I push this button, the cloak will disappear, yes. But same goes when you remove it from my wrist." she smiled again. "You keep underestimating me. I am beyond offended."

Coulson's eyes narrowed. "What is it that you want? You wouldn't just come here and threat innocent lives - children - unless you want something in exchange."

"You think I want to do this?" Raina said."Then I guess you're bluffing." he said and grabbed her wrist."

I don't want to hurt anyone, I swear. But this is the only way to keep the kids safe." she said and there was something in her eyes that made Coulson release his grip on her. "Believe me, you're not the only one here who doesn't have a choice."

"Then what is it that you want?"

"The obelisk is dangerous-"

"You already said that." Coulson snapped but Raina continued.

"-and not even gloves can ensure that you will be protected by the danger that it yields. And the last thing we want is for us to create panic inside the children's playhouse. So we need someone to go get it without sounding the alarm. Or else everyone inside that building will die."

"You want me to sacrifice one of my agents just to get the obelisk? No, I won't allow that. We need the building evacuated -"

"You don't get it." Raina snapped, her eyes pleading. "The obelisk isn't the only thing that will put those children and their parents in danger."

It was her tone that made Coulson study her for the first time she got there. She was scared, he realized. Not only for the children or their parents, but only for her life. She was scared of something, and whatever it was, it was inside that playhouse.

"What are you so afraid of?" he asked.

Raina paused a second to consider whether to tell him or not, but she couldn't afford to risk all those lives by revealing the truth. Not until she made sure that everything went according to plan, so she said, "I will tell you exactly where to find the obelisk." Coulson reached for his earpiece and was about to ask for Hunter to start moving, but Raina had said the name he so wished she hadn't. "It  _needs_  to be Skye."

* * *

The whole team was silent as they listened to the whole conversation. No one dared to make a move, even breathing loudly seemed to add to the tension.

Innocent lives were at risk, and just one wrong move, everything could go falling to pieces. They realized that it wasn't the obelisk that was the danger in this situation, but whatever it was that Raina was so scared of that was inside the playhouse.

Hunter already accepted that one of his arms wouldn't make it by the end of that day, and was about to leave the van when Raina, through the communicating device, said Skye's name, thus making the silence in the van more unbearable.

"I'm not letting Skye-" they heard Coulson say before the line went dead. Coulson turned off the intercom.

Skye knew that both May and Hunter were staring at her; she could almost swear she could feel their eyes burning holes on her back. But her mind was spinning with informations about everything that she gathered these past days. And with this unexpected turn of events that involve dozens of innocents, Skye wanted to tear her head apart. How did she end up being at the center of such life and death situation, Skye wondered.

After what felt like hours, Coulson's voice echoed through the speakers.

"Skye, I need you here." he said, his voice filled with an emotion she couldn't quite grasp the meaning behind it.

"Coulson," May started. "You cannot be considering this. She could be lying for all we know."

They heard Coulson sigh, "Believe me, I wouldn't let her go if I know there was no other choice. But it needs to be her."

"Why?" May asked.

But it wasn't Coulson who answered her question. "Because I'm an 084." Skye said, as the realization hit her. "Because there's a chance it won't work on me. Because I am an 084." she repeated.

Hunter glanced at the two ladies with a confused look before exclaiming, "She's a what?!" but everyone ignored him.

"I'm sorry, Skye." was all that Coulson managed to opened the rear door of the van and climbed off it.

"Skye," May called, her words lost in her mouth.

Skye looked at her SO, a gentle, worried expression shown on May's face, suddenly made the fierce woman that she was seem so fragile, before she gave her a weak smile. "I'll be fine." she said and walked to where both Raina and Coulson stood.

"I'm here, now what?" Skye said, as she pretended to act normal as she approached them. She wrapped her stomach with both her hands to keep herself from shaking. For some reason, she suddenly felt ill with the seriousness of this mission. But she wouldn't show it to them. She will do what they were asking from her to do. And once it's done, she will do what she had came here to do, and that was to learn the truth about her father.

"I can't afford you to send anyone after her, so I need you to let me talk to her alone." Raina said in a serious tone.

"If you're pulling a trick on us.." Coulson said.

"I'm not." Raina promised.

Coulson walked a few feet away, far away enough not to hear them but near enough to stop Raina in case she decided to hurt Skye.

Once sure that he couldn't hear them, Raina smiled at Skye.

"Hello, Skye." Skye rolled her eyes but didn't say a word. "I will tell you where you can find the obelisk, but how you're going to get it, is up to you."

"Can we just skip to the chase and just tell me where it is." Skye snapped.

Raina smiled sadly, and what came out of her mouth was not what Skye expected. "It's with your father."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for reading this fanfic! :)


	4. Playhouse Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After finding out that Raina may know the whereabouts of her father, Skye volunteers to be assigned on a mission - a mission that just so happens to have to do with Raina. Will Skye go against protocol just to learn the truth, or will she tell the team what really is bothering her and ask for their help?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> disclaimer: i own nothing except for this concept.

Coulson watched as Skye turned pale by whatever it was that Raina had told her. He wished he knew what it was because he didn't like the look on the young agent's face. Pain and anger were both showing on her face, whatever it was that Raina was telling her, it had struck a nerve.

Skye didn't know how she managed to not ran to the playhouse just yet at the mention of her father, she wanted to know how he could be alive all these years, why it took him so long to find her, and why did he choose to put dozens of innocents' lives in danger in order to see her. It was that that made Skye want to shout at Raina and tell her that she was nothing but a liar. But like that time with Ward, she could feel that she was telling the truth.  
So with all her remaining strength, as she dug her nails into her palm, she tried to stay calm.

"For someone who has been searching for her family for so long, you're taking the news quite well." Raina said as she studied Skye's face. She smiled again, Skye wanted to punch her face just to remove that smug smile of hers. "Ward told you, didn't he? I guess I was right by telling him."

Skye didn't know what exactly Raina was expecting her to say, so she changed the subject. "Isn't there a clock ticking or something? Just tell me where it is." Skye said and crossed her arms.

"He's not very patient, I admit. But what is a few minutes late compared to 25 years of searching?" Raina said and looked at the playhouse before returning her gaze back to Skye. "Aren't you a bit excited to meet him?" she cocked her head to the side as she asked the question.

Skye wanted not to entertain her but there was a question that was bothering her ever since Ward had told her about her father, she glanced at Coulson, who was watching them, so she asked, almost a whisper, "How sure are you that whoever it is in there really is my father? There's 99.9% chance that you could be wrong."

Raina smiled. "I knew the moment I saw your DNA composition that you were his daughter."

Skye almost wanted to laugh at that. "You sound so sure-"

"I am."

"You can't be that good. You cannot just detect that just by looking at my DNA." Skye said, challenging.

"Maybe. But you are an exception."

The young agent's eyes narrowed at that. "What do you mean?"

Raina blinked as realization struck her. She glanced at Coulson then at Skye, who seemed to have more questions than ever. She contemplated on whether to tell her about her identity but she chose not to instead. It was not her place. "The obelisk is not in the playhouse, but you need to get inside and leave through the backdoor. There is a car at the back of the building. Turn on the GPS, it will lead you to where your father is. The obelisk is with him." Raina said.

It took everything for Skye not to slap Raina right then, making them believe that she would put children's lives in danger was low, even for her. But she was glad at the same time, at least no one was in near danger, not really. Except maybe for her.

"Go to him now." Raina said, and there was something in her voice. It sounded like guilt but Skye didn't pay attention to it.

The young agent stared at her for a couple of minutes, contemplating on whether she should actually go to meet her father. She looked at Coulson and wondered what he would do if she told him the truth. Would he stop her? Or would he go with her? The latter seemed impossible to happen, so she chose to lie.

"I'll be fine. See you in a few." she said to him and turned for the playhouse but Raina grabbed her wrist.

"Get out of there as soon as you get the answers you seek." she said, her tone was urgent.

Skye frowned at that. "You're scared of him... Why?" but Raina already turned her back to her as she walked to the bench.

Skye glanced at the playhouse and took a deep breath. It was time to meet her father.

* * *

Ward heard the sound of the barrier disappear first before the sound of footsteps. But he did not open his eyes immediately, he waited for her to call his name first. It was different than any other sound, when it was Skye saying his name, and it was his favorite. And that's why, every time Skye would pay him a visit, he would pretend that he was still asleep only for her to wake him up with his name on her tongue.

But even before his name was called, he knew there was something different. The footsteps were too heavy to be Skye's, so he waited for whoever it was to speak.

"I know you're awake." it was Fitz, but Ward didn't so much as move a muscle. "I... It's about Skye." this got his attention. He opened his eyes and looked at him.

"Did something happen to her?" he said, trying to disconnect himself from his feelings for Skye as he tried to sound as casual as possible.

"You happened to her." Fitz said. "She... she's been acting strange ever since the other day. And whatever it is that you did to her or say, it's..." he snapped his fingers as he tried to find the right word.

"It could jeopardize her and the team." faux-Simmons accused Ward. Fitz repeated her words.

"That's why it's important for you to tell us - me," he corrected himself, "what it is that you said or did to her."

As Ward pulled himself up to sit on his bunk, and meet Fitz's gaze, he couldn't help but feel guilt as he looked at him. He felt it every time he thought of him and Simmons. He didn't want to hurt them, but instead of keeping them safe, he did more damage than he intended. And for that, he would forever regret it.

"I didn't say anything that I know she didn't want to hear." Ward replied cooly. "And I would never do anything that might hurt her." then he narrowed his eyes. "Why are you here anyway? Does Coulson know that you're here? I heard that he didn't want you to come pay me a visit." then he added, "And I don't think Skye would just let you here to confront me about her. They aren't here, so where are they?"

"I'm the one asking questions." Fitz said as he attempted to be fierce but failed miserably.

"They're on a mission." Ward then said matter of factly.

"Him and his spy-dey senses. Seriously." faux-Simmons sighed.

"So?" Fitz asked as he put his hands on his waist. "You going to answer me?"

Ward sighed. He wanted to, he owed Fitz after all. But this was not a matter that he had any right to share to anyone. So he tried to deviate the topic once again.

"Tell me something about their mission. I could give them an insight if it has something to do with Hydra." he smirked.

"I don't think we'll be needing your expertise, unless you know a lot about... uh..." Fitz then paused, struggling to remember the name.

"Raina." faux-Simmons said.

"Yes, thank you." Fitz said but pretended that he didn't say anything when he realized that he was with Ward, whose brows raised with curiosity. "Well, unless you know anything about Raina then-"

Ward was immediately on his feet. "Did you say Raina?"

"I did." Fitz replied as he backed a few steps away from the barrier.

"And Skye is with them?" he asked.

"... Yes."

"Why didn't you tell me sooner!" Ward almost yelled.

"Because I didn't come here for that!" Fitz exclaimed. "I came here to talk about Skye."

Ward glared at him. "Call Coulson, or May."

Fitz crossed his arms. "And why?"

Ward sighed, defeated. "You want to talk about Skye? Okay then. But call them first, because this mission, Skye didn't go there for whatever it is that they went there for. Skye went there for Raina."

Fitz's brows raised, a question forming in his head, but there was something about how Ward reacted that told him that it wasn't the time for that.

He reached for his phone and dialed May's number, his eyes were still on Ward, and then he asked him, "You better start now. And you better tell us the truth."

* * *

"You still haven't told me what exactly it is that you want in exchange for the obelisk." Coulson said as he stared at the playhouse. He and Raina had been sitting on the bench for ten, or was it fifteen, minutes now, as they waited for Skye to retrieve the obelisk.

Raina smiled, but didn't answer immediately. She glanced at her watch first, counting the minutes since she saw the car leave. "You already gave her to me." she then said when she decided that the head start that she had given to Skye was enough.

"Her?" Coulson asked. He cocked his head at Raina, to which the girl only replied with a simple gesture toward the playhouse. His eyes grew wide but before he could say anything, May jumped off the backdoor of the van as it screeched to a stop right in front of them.

"What do you want from Skye?!" May demanded as she stomped her way to face Raina.

Coulson's brows furrowed. "What's happening May?"

May pursed her lips before she faced Coulson. "Ward told Skye that her father is alive. He told her that Raina knows who Skye's father is."

"What?" Coulson gasped, and then stared at Raina, who blinked her wide puppy eyes as she pretended that she didn't know what they were talking about, but the small smirk that was present on her face revealed otherwise.

"I don't know how the new director of SHIELD handles thing," Raina started, 'but I think knowing one's agenda should be top of their list. Especially if it concerns something as important as the obelisk."

If they weren't out in the open, Coulson might've ordered May to smack the smugness off Raina's face, but instead he just shook his head at her as he barked an order, "Hunter, go get Skye." Hunter nodded.

"Don't bother, handsome." Raina smiled. "You won't find her there."

"What did you say?" Coulson asked.

"She's not there, in the playhouse. And neither was the obelisk. I lied." Raina admitted. "I am many things but I would never hurt innocent people, especially children."

"You low-" May started but Coulson stopped her.

"Where is she, then? Where did she go?" he asked, almost begging. But his tone was authoritative, if Raina heard it, she didn't show.

Raina's smile faded. "With her father, of course." Coulson was about to say something but Raina spoke first, "but I can take you to them."

"And you think we would just let you take us there? Just like that?" May said. "Don't make fools out of us."

Raina sighed, then she looked at Coulson in the eyes. "I truly want them to be reunited. They deserve to be together after all this time. And Skye deserves to know the truth." there were unspoken words but Coulson knew exactly what she was talking about. "But as much as I want to make their family whole, I believe that Skye is much safer in your hands."

"What do you mean?" he said weakly.

"One monster is enough." Raina said, and then she smiled a sad smile. "We cannot afford to unleash another one."

* * *

_"You have reached your destination."_  The navigation system of the car announced.

Skye put the car to a stop in front of an abandoned mill factory. The factory looked so old and ready to collapse that Skye wondered whether the navigational system of the car got it wrong and if turning back should be an option. But the thought of her father waiting for her, made the idea seemed ridiculous.

As she got out of the car, Skye made sure that she had something with her to defend herself with. The idea of needing a weapon to meet her father sounded so stupid in her head. It's not like her father would hurt her. But they did lie to them about endangering some innocents' lives. But what would her father - if it really was her father - think of her if he sees her with a weapon, she wondered. The gun that was now on her hands seemed too heavy all of a sudden.

As she entered the decrepit building, dry hot air welcomed her and it almost made her want to get out of there. The darkness didn't help either. But she was so close, closer than she ever had been. So she pushed her feet to start walking. Her father was somewhere in here, and nothing, not the eery silence nor the unwelcoming darkness, will stop her from reuniting with him.

A creaking sound from the floor above caught her attention, then followed by movement. The movement felt heavy, too heavy for a mouse. So she decided to go to the higher floor. Although she planned to make her coming as quiet as possible, the stairs had a life of its own. They creaked at every step she took, and Skye didn't know if it was in her mind, but she could have swore the sound she made with every step she took grew louder and louder, letting every living and non-living, human and nonhuman, know about her presence.

As she reached the final flight, Skye let out a sigh of relief. No one welcomed her, except for the faint light that was peeking out under the door. As quietly as she could, Skye approached the door. But with every step closer, a voice deep within her told her to get out of there. But she ignored it.

No sound came from the other side of the door, so as she counted to three, she flung the door open, her gun at the ready.

The room was almost empty if it weren't for the small lamp that hung by the wall, the obelisk that rested on top of an old office desk, and the two chairs on either sides of the desk. And for the man that occupied one of the chairs.

"I had so many scenarios in my head of how we were to be reunited, but you pointing a gun at me, was not one of them." his voice was warm and cold at the same time.

Skye's body felt cold all of a sudden. Was it his presence, or the realization that she was now in the same room with her father, Skye didn't know. She felt it, that feeling that people say when they found someone who'd been lost to them for so long. She felt the longing of running to his arms and be enveloped by them. It was too overwhelming that Skye could only do but stare at the man.

Skye didn't know what exactly she was expecting her father to look like, but average wasn't it. She imagined him being monstrous for some reason, not alien-like but scary enough to make people cower in fear. Or well, at least, made Raina cower in fear. But this man sitting on that chair with those too-familiar eyes, how can anyone come to fear him?

"You can lower the gun now, my child." he smiled, and something within Skye warmed up. So she did as he said. "Sit, child. I won't hurt you. Never you." he said again in that fiery cold tone. Though there was something creepy in his tone, to Skye it was soothing. So she sat at the chair across from his.

Father and daughter just stared at each other, no one dared to break the moment. Because once it's broken, Skye knew this reunion could either turn out pleasant or really bad. But one of them had to speak first or else they would spend the rest of the day just staring at each other, and Skye didn't want that. She wanted more. She wanted answers. She dared break the moment. Or whatever it was that was happening between them.

So Skye shifted her eyes to the obelisk then, trying to calm her too-fast beating heart. "You almost lost your bargain, you know. I almost didn't join my team on this mission. I wonder if Raina would've still given the location of the obelisk if that was the case." she managed to say and then returned her gaze to her father. "Lucky you, I came to demand for answers."

Her father smiled which sent chills running down her spine. There was something twisted about his smile, but behind it, she could see longing. For a family, and for a daughter that was lost for many years. "I knew you would come even if you didn't learn about me. After all," he said and touched the obelisk, which made Skye gasped, expecting for the worst to come, but nothing happened. "the diviner calls to you."

Skye's eyes shifted to the obelisk and then back to his father. There was something about that word that made her nostalgic for some reason.

"You call it the obelisk. Such a ridiculous name for such a powerful relic." he tsked, "You can hear it, don't you?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." Skye replied, and almost added that he was crazy.  
Her father nodded in agreement. "Of course. They took you away from me after all. You don't understand because you don't know anything about your identity. And I don't blame you for that. It was not your fault, my child."

Skye's brows narrowed at his words, they were accusatory and she didn't like it. "They took me to protect me."

"Ha!" he barked, Skye almost jumped from her chair. "Is that what they told you?" he laughed. The sound of his laughter was insane and the voice that told Skye earlier to get out, returned and was now begging to ran away from him. "Such liars. Oh, my dear child. How they've fooled you." he shook his head. But Skye noticed his hands grip on the arms of the chair, so tight was the grip that Skye felt that they would break any time soon. "Don't you see what they're doing here? They're twisting everything for their own sake. They want you to believe they're the good guys, when in truth they're the bad guys."

"Good guys won't put innocents' lives in danger." Skye replied. She didn't like how he talked about her team.

He sighed, understanding. "My way of getting you here was rough, I admit."

"Rough?!" she exclaimed. There was definitely something wrong with this man. Maybe Raina did have a good reason to fear him. He was insane. "That wasn't rough, that was cruel and low. Why couldn't you just approach me like a normal person? That's what parents do when they learn about their lost child. Not threatening lives." she suddenly blurted.

He smiled sadly. "Because our circumstances aren't normal." he paused and then gave Skye that longing look again as he said proudly, "And neither are you. You're special, my child. Always has been, just like your mother, just like me."

"What do you mean?" Skye asked.

He pushed the obelisk toward Skye. "Touch it, my child. And you will understand." he said and gestured her to touch it.

"You can stop calling me child and say my name instead." Skye said, changing the topic. "Raina must have mentioned my name."

"Your false name, you mean?" he chuckled bitterly. "I won't call you by any other name, my child."

"So is my name 'My Child', or did you run out of names?" she said, trying to bait him. But bait him for what, Skye didn't really know. But it was much preferable than touching the obelisk.

He just looked at her, and then coaxed her attention back to the obelisk. "I never stopped looking for you. But no matter how hard I tried, and whenever I thought I was so close to finding you, somehow, they still managed to keep you farther from me." he said, his voice filled with so much pain that Skye couldn't help but feel for him. She understood him after all.

In her entire life, all she ever wanted was to find her family and demand them why they left her. Always believing that maybe they never wanted her. But then she learned the truth about why she was left in the orphanage, and now, sitting in front of her, alive, was her father, filling up the remaining missing pieces of the puzzle.

He was still speaking about how he searched hard for her but Skye had her focus on his - her - eyes, when something he said got her attention.

"W-What did you say?" she stammered.

Her father locked eyes with hers, and then slowly repeated "They stole you from us because they know  _what_  you are. And they want to use you because of that fact."

 _What not who_ , Skye's blood suddenly turned cold.

Her father noticed her reaction, but didn't say anything. He waited for Skye's reaction.

"What am I? Who am I?" she didn't know how she managed to ask the question, her body was too heavy and she felt like something within her broke.

Her father was about to answer her when suddenly they heard noises coming from outside. They both jumped to their feet.

Her father grabbed the obelisk and walked around the desk and faced her. "Hold it, child." he said.

Skye backed away, surprised and still a bit dazed by what she just learned, little as it may be. "Are you fleeing?" she then asked.

He looked at her, hurt. "I was hoping you'd come with me."

"I..." was the only word that came out of her but it was enough an answer to her father.

"It's still too early in the game anyway." he smiled bitterly. "Take it, and don't say I didn't give you anything. I do keep my promises after all."

But Skye still didn't grab the obelisk. The noises were getting louder. She knew it was her team and that they were getting nearer. But there were still so many questions that she needed to be answered.

"You still haven't answered my questions." she said in a frantic tone. "Who am I? What's my name? What's your name? What about my mother? Is she alive?" she blurted and then added, "What am I?"

His face turned gentle at that. He smiled. "You're special." he whispered and moved closer to kiss the top of her head. "I'll meet you at the city."

"That isn't-" but she stopped when her father grabbed her hands and placed the obelisk in them.

Everything then seemed to stop. Her father looked at her, pleased with something. She looked at the obelisk, no, diviner, it seemed to tell her. It was glowing with the same symbols that Coulson had told her about. It was beautiful to look at. And then, something within her stirred, it was faint at first but it soon started to grow louder and louder together with her heart as it beats faster and faster while every inch of her begged to scream*. Or maybe she was already screaming she just didn't know. And it disappeared as soon as it came. She fell to her knees as she clutched the obelisk to her chest, panting. And that's when Coulson and the rest of the team and Raina came barging in. Her father long gone.

Hunter did a perimeter sweep before he could announce that they were safe.

"Skye." Coulson crouched in front of her. His eyes filled with such worry. "Are you alright?" he asked.

But Skye's focus were on Raina. "You and I are going to have such good time together." was her last words before she fainted.

It was the sound of something heavy hitting the ground that made Coulson and the rest of team realize that Skye was holding on to something. But it wasn't just anything, the obelisk was right there, and Skye, though unconscious, still held it close to her, unscathed.

Curious, Coulson tried to touch it. His fingers were only inches away from it when a hand stopped him. May shook her head. Coulson pulled his hand.

"She's holding the obelisk." Coulson said. But he wasn't stating the obvious. He was saying it because it explains something. Something that he and May had been wondering for so long but just now confirms it.

The two shared a look. And if Skye was awake to see it, she would know that it meant something bad.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for reading my fic!


	5. Sudden Recall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After going against protocol, Skye will have to face the consequences for her actions... unjust as they may be. And a familiar and an unfamiliar face join the team. But why all of a sudden?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so originally. i wanted to stick to the show as much as possible. but i hated the idea of having two SHIELDs out there so i decided to deviate from the show. and yeah, i always wondered what it would be like to touch the obelisk. i mean... just being able to touch it unhurt can't just be it... right? so yeah... this is my take on it. 
> 
> so i updated 5 chapters in one go. hope you enjoy reading them. gonna update as soon as i can.

"Suspended?!" Skye exclaimed. "You're suspending me because I wanted to know who my father is?" she looked incredulously at Coulson, who was just staring at her with such nonchalant look on his face. Then she glanced at May, who was standing by the window, hoping for her to talk sense to Coulson like she usually does but got nothing from her either. She shook her head. "Do you know how ridiculous this is? You cannot suspend me just because of that. You know how long I've been looking for my parents!" she almost shouted to his face. Skye was in disbelief.

When she came to earlier, she found herself back to her quarters. It took her a while to recover herself from disorientation after the events of what happened earlier came flooding back to her: her father, the diviner, and the revelation that she might not even be human. The last made her shiver. But it was nothing compared to the chills that ran through her entire body when she remembered the sensation of when she held the diviner. Something inside her stirred. Something that wasn't there before or had been there within her all along but was dormant all these years woke up. It was warm and overwhelming. Beautiful, even. It felt powerful. But the sensation wasn't there anymore. She felt nothing. She was empty.

She didn't know why she jumped to her feet that moment, but there was something calling to her. She would have followed it, if it weren't for May leaning against the door.

She would have smiled at the sight of her SO but the look on May's face told her that she didn't come there to check up on her. She was waiting for her to wake up, and when May spoke all she said was to follow her. And that's how they got here.

"You went against protocol." was Coulson's only reply.

"Against protocol? Just because I didn't so much as tell you that Raina played you like a f-"

"Skye." May stopped her. Skye puffed.

"That wasn't the only offense that you made,  _Agent_  Skye." Coulson said. Skye clenched her jaw at that. "You went behind our backs. You lied to us, made us believe that you went there to help us. But really, you went there to negotiate with Raina." he paused and pressed a button. The monitor behind him turned on and footages of her with Ward were playing. "I asked Fitz to retrieve the videos you thought you deleted. These were the only videos that we got. I don't know how long were you talking with Ward about your father, but this is not an acceptable behavior. I trusted you to have access because I know you are the only person who Ward would willingly give us insights about what Garret was or Hydra is up to. But you took advantage of it. You used my trust to get what you want. You could've jeopardize our mission, Skye."

Skye shook her head in disbelief but said nothing. She didn't understand why Coulson was treating her this way. This seemed like such an exaggerated punishment for wanting to learn more about her parents. She always thought that he would understand why she did those things, not prosecute her.

"You are suspended indefinitely." Coulson said after realizing that she got nothing to say. Skye blinked at that. And then he added, "And we need you to tell us everything what you and that man have talked about." and as if that wasn't enough punishment, he said, without looking at her, "As long as you are suspended, you are not allowed to leave the headquarters. And you can only use your laptop, or any other technology, when I tell you to. You also don't have to interrogate Ward anymore for information, I have assigned someone else."

Skye wanted to laugh at his every words. But she was too mad to even do anything. So, as she locked eyes with him, she said coldly, "Can I be dismissed then,  _Director_  Coulson?"

It was now Coulson's turn to blink. But before he could give her a response, Skye had already left his office. He sighed.

"Am I doing the right thing, May?" he asked as he buried his face in his hands.

"You want me to be honest." May was quiet for a few seconds before adding, "No, I think what you did was unreasonable. Maybe she jeopardized our mission, but wouldn't you have reacted the same way if you learned that you have a family looking for you somewhere? But I'm not saying she wasn't wrong either. She was selfish, but she is still just a child. You cannot blame her for wanting to be with her family."

Coulson sighed again. "I'm just worried. I don't know... but seeing her holding the obelisk, I think everything that we've been trying to keep buried are slowly crawling their way up. I don't want to continue hiding things from my agents but if they learned about them, if Skye learned about them, learning what the obelisk is and the danger it holds will be the last thing we need to worry about."

"Her father..." May started. "We've known that he's been looking for her, and he knows that we know. Do you think he told her? Told her about everything?"

Coulson shook his head. "It doesn't seem like it. And I really hope that he hadn't. I don't want Skye to learn the truth about her parents and why she was taken without knowing our side first."

"Are you going to tell her then?"

"I want her to learn the truth from us... I just don't know how. I have tried and failed miserably to find a way to tell her but it all ends to her blaming S.H.I.E.L.D. for everything that happened to her."

"But if we don't tell her, we will lose her completely."

The two senior agents stared at each other. Silence enveloping them at the realization that sooner or later, they will have to tell the young agent about the truth. Truth that can ruin everything and lose the trust of not only one agent but of everyone on the team.

* * *

Fitz was pretty sure that he wasn't just staring at the faux-Simmons this time. Not only did the Jemma standing in front of him sporting a shorter haircut compared to the time he had last seen her, but the woman standing beside her and who was also too tall for him to not acknowledge her presence was talking to Jemma a few seconds ago before the young scientist spotted him.

She was smiling at him. But Fitz saw the look in her eyes before she flashed that precious smile of hers, the same look that everyone have been giving him ever since he came out of the hospital... damaged.

He was damaged, and he was fine with that because it was the truth. But he couldn't bear how they were treating him. Like he was going to break with one simple mistake. As if he won't be able to handle the task handed to him. He may not work the same as before but he was still the same Fitz.

Fitz just stared at Jemma. Trying to come up with something to say, but there was none. It was not because his mind couldn't come up with one, but because he didn't exactly feel like talking to her. It still hurt - her leaving him when he needed her the most, when he needed his best friend the most.

Fitz had always felt that Jemma might never reciprocate his feelings, and he was okay with that. But he never saw  _it_  coming. Never saw Jemma leaving him when her partner would be needing her the most. And that was why it was so hard for him to look at her right now, why there were no words coming of his mouth, why he felt like walking out of the room right at that very moment. It hurt, not because she didn't feel the same way but because she abandoned him.

"Fitz." Jemma said softly. "How have you been?"

Fitz opened his mouth but no sound came out of it. So instead he just nodded and looked at his watch.

"Fitz!" someone called and he turned to see Hunter and Mack walking toward them. "Have you seen Agent M- Woah." he stopped as soon as his eyes landed on the amazon woman. "What on earth are you doing here?" he asked.

Fitz glanced at Jemma who was still staring at him with that look, before he shifted his attention to the woman.

"Bobbi Morse." Bobbi winked at Fitz, which took him by surprise, before she looked at Hunter and reciprocated his animosity with a glare. "It's good to see you too, Lance." she said with a smug expression on her face. "Mack."

"Bobbi." Mack replied with a curt nod.

"Again. What on earth are you doing here?"

"We asked her to." it was Coulson who answered Hunter's question. The director and Agent May approached the team with smiles on their faces at the sight of the two women. "I'm sorry for recalling you two so suddenly, but due to recent events, we thought that your expertise would be more useful here."

"Oh, Sir. It's alright." Simmons smiled. "I was actually starting to worry. After the events with Donnie Gill, it felt like everyone was watching my every move. Even sneezing was difficult. You have no idea how hard..." she stopped herself after realizing the awkward look everyone was giving her. "It's so good to see you, Sir and Agent May." then she glanced at Fitz. "And, of course, Fitz." she smiled at him but did not wait for his reaction. "Where's Skye?"

Coulson and May exchanged glances.

"Oh, you know Skye. She's probably somewhere near a computer." Coulson said. "But right now I need to talk to Jemma and May alone. If you guys don't mind." he directed to the rest of the team. Everyone nodded and went their respective ways except for Hunter who still needed an explanation as to why Bobbi was there.

"Right now isn't really the right time, is it?" Hunter asked and one look from May was all he needed. He sighed and left.

"What is it, Sir?" Jemma asked.

"I think it's best if we take this conversation somewhere more private." May suggested. Coulson nodded.

* * *

Skye could feel her eyes stinging from the tears that so desperately want to escape but she forced herself to choke them down this time. She didn't want to let those angry tears flow out because she knew that once she'd start to cry, she won't be able to stop it. And after the events of that day, she didn't know how much tears she had in her before there'd be no more tears to shed.

Today, Skye finally met her father. And though there was a part of her that was glad of seeing him and of him being alive, she was disappointed to find out that her father was everything that she hoped he was not. She expected warmth and those fluffy feelings she thought one should feel once one reunites with a long lost relative but there were none when she found herself face to face with him. She felt cold and detached instead. And disgusted to learn the kind of man her father was. Then there was this unexplained feeling that was eating her by each passing second at the revelation of her identity. Everything was making her feel sick and confused.

But the betrayal of being accused of jeopardizing the mission weighed over everything else. Skye couldn't believe that Coulson had actually suspended her for her actions. Of all people, Skye really thought that it would be him that would understand why she had done those things. Why she decided to hide things from him. He knew that all she ever wanted were answers about her parents but for him to condone her for her choices instead of supporting and understanding her, it was beyond her. The betrayal stung, and Skye had no idea how to ignore the pain that it was causing her right now.

The young agent had locked herself inside one of the vehicles stationed at the new headquarter. It was times like this that she wished to be in her van and go on a road trip to escape all the things that are causing her stress. Skye almost wanted to turn back time to the days before she was with SHIELD if it meant not learning the truth about her identity and of her father. But just the thought of it sent a painful pang in her heart.

There was a gentle tap on the car's window. Skye ignored it, knowing full well that no one would see her through the heavily tinted windows, and did not even bother checking who it was that broke the almost-peaceful silence inside the car. And Skye made sure that no one would be able to open this car if someone needed it. She had taken the spare key with her. Whoever it was who needed a ride outside they would have to find another one instead.

But the tapping did not cease. It even sounded playful. As if the person knew that someone was inside the car.

"I know you're in there." it was a chirpy voice, one that Skye would know anywhere and missed so much. "Coulson was getting worried about you, so we tried to track you down and one surveillance camera caught you getting in there. Skye, please come out. I missed you."

It was not the busted part that made Skye give in, but it was the I-missed-you part because after all, Skye felt the same way.

Skye unlocked the door and got out. She was wearing a sad yet sheepish smile at the sight of Jemma.

"You have no idea how much I've missed you." Skye smiled and buried herself in Jemma's arms.

"Aw." Jemma smiled. "It's so good to be back."

"I'm so glad you're safe." Skye said once they broke the hug. "Wait, what are you doing here? Did something happen?"

Jemma blinked for a second before answering her friend. "People were starting to get suspicious of me and Director Coulson thought that it would be best to recall us than to keep us at harm's way."

At the mention of Coulson's name, Skye's smile on her face slowly faded. Jemma noticed it but did not ask any question.

"Well, as long as you're back here and safe." Skye started. "Wait. You said us."

"Oh! Yeah. You have to meet Agent Bobbi Morse. She's really cool. Not as cool as May but really cool." Jemma basically singsonged.

"Aw, you're in love. How cute." Skye teased.

"Oh, please. You would too, if you saw what she's capable of." Jemma smiled as she grabbed Skye's hand and dragged her to where the rest of the team was. She was wearing a smile on her face all throughout the walk, because if she weren't she wouldn't know how to be with her friend without Skye realizing that the reason why she was back was to keep an eye on her.

* * *

Coulson turned off the monitor as soon as Jemma found Skye. He couldn't bear watching the young scientist lie to her fellow agent. But if keeping a solid eye on Skye would mean keeping her away from the truth and from Raina and the obelisk, Coulson would use any means necessary.

Jemma was his last choice for this job. He had planned Bobbi to keep an eye on Skye but he knew it would be too suspicious, he might as well have sent May to do the job if he wanted the young agent to realize what he was up to. And besides, he already had other plans for Agent Morse. He considered asking one of the guys but he knew how awkward and difficult it would be for them trying to make casual conversations with girls. And they definitely won't be able to check on her if she was taking a quite suspicious long time inside the powder room.

So instead, he tried to play safe. Send Jemma, a person who was really bad at lying, to do the job. He just hopes that she could keep the act long enough for them to get answers from Raina about the obelisk.

Coulson didn't want to ask one of his agents to lie but if this was the only way to keep Skye away from the truth, then so be it.

The silence in his office was deafening, too deafening that he almost forgot that he wasn't alone. He turned his chair and met May's eyes.

"Sometimes I wish you weren't that stealthy." Coulson rubbed the back of his neck. "How's our new guest doing, by the way? Has she made herself home yet?"

May narrowed her eyes as she studied Coulson. "She seemed to be adjusting just fine. Speaking of fine, you don't look so well."

"That's because I don't."

May knew exactly what he meant by that. He was about to have another episode. "I can interrogate Raina-"

"No." Coulson stood up. "I want to be the one doing the interrogations. She knows things, May - knows things about the obelisk. She might also know what those symbols mean. If we find out what those symbols are then maybe my brain can finally stop trying to make me draw things on the wall. We need answers, and we need them now."

"Are you sure it's answers you're after and nothing else?" May raised an eyebrow, her tone was not accusing but Coulson felt like it was.

Coulson sighed. "To tell you the truth, I have no idea what I'm after right now. But everything - the symbols, Skye's identity - it all leads back to one thing. The obelisk. And I will get answers from Raina. I just hope she cooperates."

"What if she won't?"

He looked defeated when he answered. "Then we need to stand back and wait for everything to unfold by itself."


	6. Getting to Know You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With Raina in their custody, Coulson will try to get answers from her. But she isn't the only one being interrogated. As consequence for her actions, Skye undergoes an interrogation of her own.

They were all laughing. Laughing at Hunter and Bobbi's fail of a love story. Laughing at how the two kept trying to ridicule one another but only to make each other smile. Laughing at how Lance tried so hard to hate Bobbi but kept failing miserably because of how obvious that he's still got feelings for her.

It was a nice change. Even Fitz and Simmons were laughing and sometimes when they glanced at each other's direction, they exchanged smiles. But Jemma could still feel how distant Fitz had been since they arrived.

Simmons had planned to talk to him the moment she got to the headquarters but Coulson, with other plans in mind, made it difficult for her to find a time to talk to Fitz now that she's been assigned to keep an eye on Skye.

She glanced at Skye, the used-to-be consultant and now newest field agent had a big grin on her face. And sometimes she would send snarky remarks every time Hunter couldn't defend himself from something Bobbi had said he'd done.

Simmons didn't know what happened. She didn't get all the details from Coulson except for the fact that her friend went against protocol. And that was it. She was asked to keep an eye on her. She didn't like it. Skye's her friend after all, almost a sister. But she would do it even if Coulson gave her a very vague reason.

Though she was enjoying the spectacle, Skye was still a bit troubled. Not only did she feel betrayed with Coulson suspending her, but she also felt this strange sensation that somehow felt familiar. It was unnerving her - the familiarity of the sensation - but Skye couldn't understand why it disturbed her so much so she tried to ignore it instead.

Bobbi suddenly rose from her chair. "This has been really nice but Coulson asked me to do something." she then looked at Skye. "Could you take me to the cage?"

Skye shrugged her shoulders as she responded, "Yeah, sure." she stood up from her seat.

Jemma, who was given orders to keep an eye on Skye at all times, reacted. "Can I go with?"

"Sure." said Skye the same time Bobbi said "Maybe next time."

Jemma frowned at Bobbi. And so did Skye. The guys just stared at the girls, not sure of what just happened.

And just like that, because she was also not liking the gawking eyes and the awkward silence, Jemma slid further down her seat and murmured, "Maybe next time."

"...Okay." Skye said, still with a frown on her face.

The two girls left the room, the boys still clueless as to what just happened.

* * *

"I have all day, Raina." Coulson declared as he sat on a chair inside one of the rooms where they're holding people under custody.

Raina cocked her head and batted the lashes of her huge eyes, "Unlike you, Mr. Coulson, I have a bed right at my disposal." She said as she patted the bed she was currently sitting at. "If I ever choose to sleep right now, I don't think you'll have the entire day."

"I'm not playing games with you." Coulson said. "I can transfer you to a less pleasant room." he said. "You answer my questions now. What are those symbols? And what does it have to do with the obelisk?"

"For someone who claims he has all day, you awfully seem like you're in a hurry." she teased.

"Why can you and Skye touch it without incurring any damage?" Coulson ignored her.

Raina sighed. "Isn't it obvious? We are special."

"Special seems to be such a vague word to use at this situation." he said. "What exactly do you mean by special? Are you alien? Is that it?"

"Alien is such an ugly word." Raina pouted. "We are humans. We just happened to be capable of doing things."

Coulson narrowed his eyes. "Such as?"

"That's for me to know, and for you to find out."

"I'm not playing games here."

"And neither am I." Raina said exasperatedly.

Coulson's forehead creased. He didn't like how she kept evading answering the questions. It was frustrating. And the fact that he was trying to suppress writing those symbol wasn't helping his situation at all. And if Raina was going to keep answering him like that, Coulson thought that he might actually lose his mind sooner rather than later.

He sighed and leaned his back on the chair. He was exhausted. These past two days drained him more than they should have. He didn't even know if he could keep up with the stress. But he told himself that he had to get all his questions answered. He has to find what those symbol means, what Skye really is, and what their connection is to the obelisk.

"Tell me then, who are you really working for? And what exactly are you after?"

"Isn't obvious?" Raina leaned forward, as if she was about to reveal something top secret.

"I wouldn't be asking the question if I knew the answer to that." Coulson snapped. "Now answer me."

Raina sighed. "You just want me to confirm what you already suspected." She paused. "Mr. Zabo, Skye's father - that's who I work for. And if it isn't obvious enough, or if you're just really trying to act dumb then I will tell you what he's after. He's after SHIELD, and he will do anything to bring you down."

"Why?"

Raina stared at Coulson, all signs of playfulness left her face. "Because SHIELD took everything from him." she said, her tone void from any emotion. "SHIELD took his family away from him."

Coulson clenched his jaw. "SHIELD wouldn't-"

"Stop denying it." Raina said in that teasing tone again. "You know what SHIELD is capable of doing and of the extremes they're willing to go just to get whatever they want." she paused again. "I know you know what really happened that day in that village in China. You  _know_  why. You're just too scared to admit to yourself that you're working for something that pretends to be good when in fact it's just the lesser evil in this big picture."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Coulson replied but it only made Raina smirk at him.

"You're so scared to accept the truth and yet the only thing you're good at is lying." Raina said. She studied Coulson for a whole minute. She straightened herself before exhaling. "I have a proposition for you, Mr. Coulson."

"You are in no position to make a deal with me."

"Oh, but you'll want to listen to this one." Coulson didn't response so she continued. "I will tell you everything that I know."

"Everything?"

"Everything."

Coulson thought about it long and hard. Raina almost thought that he'd never agree to her. But after a long silence, he spoke. "What are your conditions?" he asked, his eyes narrowing.

"Condition." Raina answered. "Just one."

"Name it. But if I don't think it will benefit my team, I won't agree to it."

"Oh, you will." She smirked.

Coulson didn't like this game she was playing with him. He was smart and he had the upper hand but Raina was clever. Too clever for him. And he knew if he'd make the wrong move, he would fall right where she planned him to be.

Coulson raised his chin as a sign for her to continue. Raina's smirk grew.

"Tell me, where is Skye right now?"

Coulson's forehead creased. "Why do you want to know?"

"Because..." she trailed off. "I want her to hear everything I'm going to tell you."

"That's not going to happen."

"She'll eventually learn the truth. She might as well be here for this."

"No."

"Then I won't answer any of your questions."

Coulson stood up. "You never planned to."

"True, but I would have if you agreed to my condition."

"We're done for today. And tomorrow, I hope you'll cooperate or I will send one of my agents and you won't like her."

"I'm not afraid of Agent May." She said and lied to her bed slowly. "However, I'm more concerned about Skye. How is she by the way? Touching the obelisk can affect people in different ways."

Coulson wasn't sure if she was trying to bait him, but he chose not to fall for it even if it wasn't.

"See you tomorrow, Raina." He said and turned his back. He did not see Raina's smile at that very moment. It was a winning smile and she wore it even after Coulson left the room.

* * *

"We don't sleep in the Bus now but sometimes I like to escape here just for old time's sake. It's kind of nice too." Skye said as she led Bobbi to the Cage. "Maybe you'll get a bunkbed assignment too if we ever get to go somewhere that will require the bus. May is itching to find a reason to fly it."

Bobbi nodded her head as she listened to everything Skye was telling her. She was trying to read the younger agent, and aside from the obvious - that Skye is a very talkative person - Bobbi could tell that she was a good person. A little stubborn with a weird sense of humor, but good nonetheless. She seemed nice, too, Bobbi thought. And base from what Jemma had told her, she seemed like a person Bobbi would like to befriend if only she didn't have to do what she had to do. And for some reason, Bobbi could tell that the young woman was very important to Coulson and May. She must have done something that upset the two for them to be acting like such disappointed parents after finding out that their child was off the honor list.

"And here we have the one and only, the Cage" Skye smiled when they approached the Cage. "Sometimes I call it the honeycomb room. You'll know why once we get inside."

As she opened the door, Skye immediately walked towards one of the chairs in the room and flopped down like a child. She noticed immediately how the room was set up but tried to delay the obvious reason why they were here.

"The cell is made of silicon-carbide vibranium. I don't know exactly those elements - I just know that Fitz and Simmons kept saying that whenever I said that this room is made out of honey. Seriously those two can't take a joke." she puffed. "But I do know that this room is quite tough. We once locked Lady Sif here - she's an Asgardian, but I bet you know that - and she couldn't get out of here. And she's super strong."

Bobbi couldn't help but smile at that as she sat down to the chair opposite to Skye. The only thing dividing them was the desk between them.

"You talk a lot, don't you?" Bobbi asked but it was more like a statement.

Skye smiled back. "Well, yeah." she said and then added, "Which I think would be very convenient for you because I like to share."

Bobbi tried to pretend that she didn't know what she meant by that.

Skye rolled her eyes as she placed her arms on the desk and leaned forward as if she was going to share some gossip with the other agent. "No one is that interested to see the cage." she then grinned. But was soon gone and was replaced by a small frown. "So..." she started, her childish tone replaced by one that Bobbi detected as hurt. "Is this a debriefing or more like an interrogation?" Skye almost choked at the last word.

Bobbi sensed the discomfort from the girl, but this was why she was here and the time to be nice was over. "More of an interrogation." she said honestly.

Skye nodded her head while looking down. She knew that she had to debrief the team about what happened, but never had she thought that Coulson would actually get someone else to interrogate her instead.

Interrogate her. Skye felt that burning pang in her chest again. She was willing to tell everything. She owed them that after all. But not like this: inside the cage with an agent that she just met. She was upset at Coulson, at May, and even at Bobbi right now. If they wanted to know what happened they could've just asked her in front of everyone.

She sighed, defeated. "Where do you want me to start?"

"Coulson showed me the footage of when Grant Ward first told you about your father, and other related videos. Basically, we know when this started. What we don't know, however, is your conversation with the man that claims to be your father."

That's when Skye glanced at her. There was a look on her face that if Bobbi didn't know better she would've thought that the young agent was hurting. But Skye  _was_  hurting and though as much as she tried not to show it, she failed at it miserably.

"So this is basically about me and that man."

"You don't know his name?" Bobbi noted.

"He didn't tell me. I asked, but he was evading all my questions." Skye answered. "Didn't even bother to call me by my name."

Bobbi studied her at that. "You were hoping to learn what your real name is?"

"I was hoping to learn everything about my identity, about him and my mother, and about how I ended up in an orphanage. Well, I know how I ended up in an orphanage - Coulson told me. But I wanted to hear his side of the story. But, like I said, he kept evading my questions. While he tried so hard to make me touch that diviner."

"Diviner?" Bobbi asked in confusion.

Skye shrugged. "That's what he called the obelisk."

Bobbi nodded. "Coulson told me he, Hunter and May found you holding the, um, diviner, unharmed, is that correct?"

Skye shrugged again. "Yeah." she said and as soon as she saw how weird of an expression Bobbi had on her face, Skye immediately added "I didn't know though that I could touch it. He basically tricked me into holding it. He said something that caught me off guard and something about a city. And then we heard Coulson and the team, and then everything went so fast. The next thing I knew I was holding the diviner and... and then everything went dark after that."

"A city?"

Skye shook her head once again. "He just mentioned a city. He was very cryptic."

Bobbi nodded her head as if trying to keep that information in mind for later. "You said that he caught you off guard by saying something. Can you tell me what it is?" she asked.

Skye froze at that. She didn't know exactly how to say it without creeping the woman, but Skye didn't want to keep it all to herself. Just the thought of it scared her.

"He kept saying that I was special and... " she trailed off.

Bobbi watched the girl intently. She realized that Skye was clenching her jaws - a sign that the girl was becoming upset by every passing second.

"We can stop here for now if you want."

Skye shook her head. "No... I'm almost done anyway." she said as she bowed her head. "It's just that... I don't know if Coulson told you about my past or of my being an 0-8-4 but... but I think the reason why I can touch it is because I may not be entirely human..."

"Are you saying you may be... an alien?" Bobbi asked as she tried to hide the surprise in her voice.

Skye shook her head, and only then did Bobbi realize that the young agent was on the verge of crying but she knew that Skye was trying her best not to let any tears fall.

"I don't know what I am, is what I'm saying!" she said through gritted teeth. "I don't even know who I am or who my parents are. I was so close. But I.. now it just feels like I'm back to the start again... And this time with even more questions."

Bobbi took note of all the things that Skye said as she studied her. After a few moments of complete silence, she stood up. Skye looked at her, confused.

"Thank you so much for your cooperation, Skye." Bobbi said, and then smiled sympathetically at her. "I wish this wasn't how we got to spend out first day as colleagues."

Skye could only nod. Bobbi was on her way out the door when Skye suddenly remembered to ask something important.

"Where is the diviner?" she asked, making Bobbi look back at her.

Bobbi shook her head weakly. "I honestly have no idea. And even if I knew, it would be classified information."

"I know... I just hope it's hidden somewhere far away from me- I mean here."

"Why?" Bobbi asked, curious, as she pretended not to catch Skye's slip up.

"This might not make sense but I think it's a key of some sort." Skye said. "I don't know what it unlocks, but whatever it is, I don't think it's good."

"I will tell Coulson everything you told me. Thank you."  Bobbi said, and with that she left the cage, leaving Skye alone with her troubling thoughts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello guys! how's it been? so i'm thinking i might actually deviate entirely from the show. i don't think i like having two shields in my story. after all, i've always planned to focus this story on skye and her origin story and her learning about her past and how these factors will affect her and the team. so yeah... i guess that's pretty much it.
> 
> also, i know it's been awhile since i last updated. I'm really slow now because of so many factors. But I am trying my best to write as much as possible. TO be honest, I was gonna upload this chapter last month but when i read it, there was something off about it so I had to rewrite the entire chapter. Sucks when you have so many plots that you want to incorporate to your story. and also, there was another story plot in my head that has been nagging me that i really want to publish but since it's taking me ages to update this one, i thought that maybe i'll do that some other time. (it's mostly post s2 finale) . Argh it's so hard to have so many ideas but so little time.


	7. Sleepless Nights

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jemma has been keeping an eye on Skye for days now, and it only made her feel terrible. Can Jemma keep the facade long enough to understand what's going on with Skye?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> disclaimer: i don't own anything just this idea. 
> 
> sorry bad chapter summary. couldn't come up with one. too exhausted :/

_Skye knew that she was dreaming. Everything about her surrounding was off. Everything was distorted and the sound was muffled, as if she was underwater. And yet, something about it felt awfully real. But there was a part of her that just can't bring herself to wake up. Not with all these alien symbols illuminating her path like crazy._

_In the beginning of the dream, Skye was lying on her bed when she heard it. It was the same sound again, the same pounding sound that she heard when she first touched the diviner. It was like an itch to her - the sound - that even though she tried so hard to ignore it, a part of her just couldn't resist to give into_ it _._

_She got off her bed slowly, making sure not to wake up anyone._

_That's weird, Skye thought in her dream. Why would she worry about waking anyone when she knew that this was only a dream? But Skye still tried to be as quiet as possible._

_When she got out of her room, Skye realized something. She didn't know where to look for it. As if on cue, the floor beneath her started to glow with the alien symbols that Coulson has assigned her with, to find out what they mean._

_Skye was puzzled at first, and quite frightened too. But she was lying if she didn't say that she wasn't curious either._

_This is only a dream, Skye thought. And with that in mind, she followed the symbols._

_The symbols led her to the lower levels of the base._   _It took several minutes later of following the symbols when all of a sudden they just disappeared together with the pounding sound. But in exchange, Skye found herself facing one of the too many containment vaults of the base. And displayed on it were the words "off limits" and "haphazard"._

_Skye rolled her eyes at that. Didn't Coulson know that putting those words were only going to make people more curious to learn what's inside it? But Skye knew exactly what it was inside the vault. Skye studied the vault. She knows that she doesn't have access, but she knows as well that she could easily hack her way into it. The sad thing here, she wasn't allowed to use any electronic devices unless Coulson gave her permission to._

_But this was a dream, Skye reminded herself. She could do anything. The door might even open by itself._

_But the door remained locked. And Skye frowned at that. But all her thoughts suddenly disappeared from her mind, except for one thing: that she needed to get inside and bring the diviner to the city._

_So Skye stepped forward and reached for the door. The pounding sound suddenly returned, and this time it was getting louder and louder as she got closer and closer to the door._

_She stopped then, and looked behind her. For some reason, she felt as if someone was in her dream, watching her. But she found no one. She faced the door again and though she hesitated at first, Skye decided to touch it. No. More like there was something inside her that desperately needed to touch it._

_When her hands finally touched the door, the pounding sound died and was replaced by the overwhelming sensation when she first touched the diviner. Skye almost gasped at the sensation, but she welcomed it nonetheless. She was too overwhelmed by it that it took her several seconds to realize what was happening around her._

_Skye panicked. Her surrounding was shaking, the walls were cracking, and the ceiling above her was starting to crumble. Skye wanted to warn everyone at the base, but before she could even take a run for it, she realized that she couldn't breathe or move. Her body was turning to stone. She wanted to cry for help but she found herself incapable to do so. And suddenly, everything around her was being swallowed by complete darkness as her body was almost turned to stone. But before she was completely petrified, Skye couldn't help but smile however twisted it might seem. Because even though there was destruction around her, and she was sort of dying, Skye felt powerful.  
_

* * *

"Morning, Skye!" Jemma chirped the moment Skye flopped on the chair next to hers and laid her head on the dining table. She was reading a newspaper while she was waiting for Skye to wake up. But now that other agent was awake, it was time to resume her assignment, which was to keep an eye on her. Jemma tried to keep herself from cringing just thinking about lying to her friend. "So..." she started weakly, as she took a small sip from her coffee while her eyes were focused on the newspaper that she was pretending to still be reading. "You weren't at dinner again last night." she said, but hoping that she didn't sound like she was snooping.

Skye, with her head still on the table, answered her but her words were indistinguishable, not with her mouth basically kissing the furniture.

"You said something?" Jemma said, trying to peek at Skye's direction.

Skye lifted her head as she placed her arms on the table instead and sighed. "I wasn't really in the mood for Chinese." she pouted and then yawned.

Jemma couldn't help but chuckle. "Skye, we had Italian last night. In fact, you're the one who insisted we hire an Italian chef to come over just so we know that it's genuine Italian food."

"Yeah, but then we ended up with Hunter cooking while faking an Italian accent." Skye groaned, and then yawned again.

Jemma regarded her friend before she continued the conversation. "If you remember that, then why did you give me the Chinese food excuse?" She said as she finally put down the newspaper she was 'reading'. When she faced her friend, she couldn't help but give her friend a concerned look. "This is about the other day, isn't it? You're still angry with Coulson, aren't you?"

Skye shrugged. "I don't really want to talk about it." she said and then buried her face on her arms again. 

"You can't ignore him forever." the young scientist stated. "I know what he did was upsetting but he was just doing his job. You did go against protocol. He was just doing the reasonable thing he knew he should do." Jemma said but the moment those words escaped from her mouth, she wished that she never spoke them. She immediately looked at her friend to see her reaction but the other agent didn't even look up at her. But she saw how her shoulder went stiff for a second. "Skye, I me-"

"It's okay, Jemma." Skye said with a smile on her face, making the scientist think that the other agent had really moved on from the issue. But Jemma was still concern because Skye wasn't looking at her when she spoke to her. "Really. That was days ago. We don't have to talk about it. And you're right, he was only doing the reasonable thing because I obviously wasn't."

"Skye, that's not what I-" Jemma tried to explain herself but Skye interrupted her again.

Skye shook her head. "Just... just let it go." Skye said, defeated. And that was when Jemma really looked at her friend.

At first glance, you wouldn't see how exhausted the girl looked. But if one paid attention, they would notice the dark rims forming under her eyes and how disheveled she was in general. She didn't look like she lost any weight, but just the sight of her worried Jemma.

"You look awful, Skye!" Jemma exclaimed, but soon found herself rephrasing her statement so not to offend Skye more than she already had. "I mean... you don't look alright. Are you feeling ill?"

Skye sighed. And though she knew that her friend was only concerned about her well-being, she couldn't help but be frustrated at the young scientist, or anyone in general. But she couldn't afford to add more drama on her list, she had enough of it for the week, or at least for a lifetime.

"I'm fine. Just woke up on the wrong side of the bed I guess." Skye said as nicely as she could manage.

"Bad dream?" Jemma asked, curious.

"I wish. But it's more like I was up all night and only had an hour of sleep before the stupid alarm clock went off." she groaned.

Jemma nodded, understanding. "So... coffee?" she then offered but she didn't wait for Skye's response as she immediately went to make thr other agent a cup of coffee.

"Please." Skye pleaded. "And please make it strong. I want to at least be awake when May is trying to kill me later."

"Are you sure you're up for your sparring sessions with her? I as the team's doctor can vouch for you for a sick day." she said as she handed Skye the cup of coffee.

Skye immediately took giant gulps of the coffee before answering her. "I'm okay. Really. You don't need to worry. I just didn't have a good night sleep." Skye said and got off her chair. "Anyway. I have to go now. I'm already late, and I don't to give May anymore legit reasons to kill me. Thanks for the coffee."

"You are welcome." Jemma replied with a huge smile. But the smile was soon replaced by a worried frown as soon as the other agent was out of the room.

 

* * *

"I can't watch this." Trip whispered as he looked away from the two sparring agents. 

"Does she have a death wish or something?" Hunter groaned as May flipped Skye again for the umpteenth time that day and fell face first on the mat. The younger agent groaned in pain but immediately forced herself up to her feet and positioned herself in a fighting stance, as she ignored May's offer to quit for the day.

It was an unfruitful day that day, making all the agents of their team thirsty for some form of entertainment. Not all of them wanted to watch the sparring match, but everyone couldn't help but go and see what was happening in the training room. It was Hunter who got there first to witness Skye's ungodly defeat over and over. And for some reason, one by one, the rest of the team filed inside the room except for Coulson who was nowhere to be found.

It was the strangled cries of Skye that mostly caught their attention, and how she stubbornly refused to back down even though it was obvious that the young agent wasn't faring so well.

"Is she always like this?" Bobbi asked Mack but he only shrugged his shoulders as a response. She didn't know how long they've all been watching the sparring session, but she knew that this has been going on for too long now that it wasn't just about Skye trying to prove to anyone that she doesn't easily give up. Because if that was the case, she already proved that too anyone on the 15th time she went down since they all got there. Bobbi knew that the young agent was frustrated and that it had something to do with the mission that caused Skye to be suspended indefinitely and was trying to take it all out on her training.

May stood still as she watched Skye try to catch her breath before finally deciding that she had enough. May lowered her hands and started to walk away.

Skye frowned. "Where are you going?"

"We're done for the day, Skye." May said without looking back.

"Well, I'm not." the young agent responded as she followed May out of the sparring ring.

"If you want to make a fool out of yourself in front of everyone, be my guest." the older agent exclaimed. "But do not think that I will let you waste my time by trying to take all your daddy issues frustrations out on me."

May didn't even bother looking at Skye's reaction, just seeing everyone else staring at her with those uncomfortable looks were enough an answer already. She hit a bullseye there, and though she was telling the truth, a part of her wished she didn't say those words out loud. But she meant it when she said all those stuff, especially the part where Skye was acting like a kid. Because she needed the young agent to wake up and stop acting like one.

"Don't you have things to do?" May then looked at the other agents.

"Actually, we don't- Ow!" Hunter exclaimed after both Trip and Bobbi nudged him at the same time.

"Well?" she said and spun around and raising a brow at them. Mack was the first one to leave, followed immediately by the others except for Fitz and Simmons who were still looking at their friend. May was going to tell the two agents to leave the room as well, but there was something with how Fitz stared at her that she knew the two were just going to ignore May this time. May sighed but before she decided to leave, she gave Simmons a knowing look that made the young scientist nod her head weakly before she left the room. Fitz noticed the small exchange, but he ignored it this time, just like how he ignored the other times he had seen those exchanges with May, if not with Coulson. So as Simmons watched May leave the room, Fitz immediately went to Skye's side.

"Skye..." he started but had no clue what to say next. He was at a lost for words. Well, he has been for a while, but it upset him that even at that moment he couldn't make himself finish a thought without faltering, not when he knew that his friend needed someone to comfort her more than anything.

But as he tried again to say something to her, Skye looked up at him and surprised him when she smiled. But could he even call it a smile seeing how her chin was trembling? Skye was trying so hard to keep herself from looking hurt that made the situation ten times worse.

"Well, that escalated quickly." Skye said as if it was not a big deal. "'Daddy issues'. Wonder where she got that from." 

"M-Maybe you don't have issues-" Fitz said weakly

"That's because I don't." Skye huffed.

"-with your b-biological dad, I mean." he finished causing Skye to narrow her eyes before understanding dawned on her.

After a few seconds, Skye snorted. "If you're saying that I have 'daddy issues' with Coulson, you're wrong. I don't have issues or whatever it is that you guys want to call it. I'm just-"

"Avoiding him?" Jemma asked while Fitz said. "Giving him the cold shoulder?"

Skye rolled her eyes at them. "I was gonna say that there's nothing to talk about so really, you don't have to worry. It's not like this is my first time being punished for going behind your backs." she said and then added, "Remember the incident with Miles?"

"But that was a different matter." Simmons said.

"And how is this one different?" Skye asked, audibly exhausted. Then sighed, "Look. I'm fine, you guys. May was just obviously annoyed at how I didn't give my all during our session; I obviously wasted her time. It's all good." she smiled, wearily.

"But-" Fitz started but Skye cut him off. 

"Fitz." she said, her voice pleading. He stared at her, and he realized how exhausted she must be with everything that has happened. And though all he wanted was to make things better for her and Coulson, he knew that there was nothing he could do. Not when Skye was obviously pretending that everything was alright. Just like that, Fitz sighed in defeat. Skye gave him a small smile in return.

Simmons watched the two. She wanted to talk to the other agent too, but it felt like no matter what she'd say, Skye would just shrug her off. So instead, she studied her during the small conversation. She didn't want to but had to because she had to give her daily report about Skye to Coulson eventually. Simmons sighed.

"Well.." Skye started as she made her way to the door. "I gotta go take a shower."

The two scientists nodded their heads.

There was an awkward silence when the agent left the training room, and though Simmons wanted to have a small talk with Fitz, she was scared to only be ignored once again.

It had been four days since she returned and all the time that she found herself alone with Fitz, the engineer would pretend that she wasn't even there. She knew that he felt like she abandoned him. She had in a way. But she thought it was what was best for him. As a doctor, she knew that it wasn't recommendable knowing that her presence would help in his recovery, but as the person who felt responsible for what had happened to him, leaving him in the care of other experts and the rest of the team was the best choice. She couldn't help him anyway, not with her crying every time she stared at him. He may have had gotten brain damage, but she was as damaged as well as he was. 

Simmons fidgeted, unusure of what to do. She was waiting for Fitz to leave the room first because that's what he usually does these past few days. So when she glanced at him and saw him staring at her, she almost jumped on her feet.

"Fitz!" she gasped, her hands on her chest as she tried to regain composure. After a few seconds, she smiled shyly. "Y-Yes, Fitz?"

But Fitz just gaped at her, contemplating on something. His eyes narrowed making her think for a second that there was something on her face. But Simmons knew every facial expression of his and what they meant, and a smudge on her face wasn't it.

After what seemed like a murderous hour of silent staring, Fitz finally spoke. "I... I saw that..." He snapped his fingers as he tried to find the right word. An action that he does now when he tries to remember something. "... look May gave you. "

Simmons blinked, surprised that he caught that short exchange. "What about it?"

"Nothing." Fitz shrugged, like he really didn't mind. "Just... It's weird that you come back... so suddenly yet you still disappear every now so often to report to May and Coulson..."

"What's so weird about it?" 

"You're never in the lab... Nothing for you to report."

Simmons blinked once again but tried to keep her face void of any expression. Of course someone would have noticed, she just didn't expect it that it would have been him considering how little time they've spent in the same room. She was thinking of what to say, any excuse at all, but she was so bad with coming up with one that she just shook her head as if she had no idea what he was talking about.

Fitz then shook his head before he decided that it wasn't really his business to ask in the first place. He didn't want to pry; just the mere idea of talking to her made him anxious, but there was something about her reporting to May and Coulson that just didn't feel right. And with the recent things concerning one of his teammate, it made the situation a bit more worrying.

"Sorry... I just.. It's nothing..." he sighed, then after a long pause he decided to head for the door. He spun all of a sudden before he reached the doorway, only to see Simmons staring at him with a look that expressed so many emotions, but guilt being the most profound of them all. "I just hope this  _thing_ has got nothing to do with why you're spending so much time with Skye..."

As soon as Fitz left the room, Simmons released a heavy sigh. Her hands shaking as she passed her fingers through her hair. If Fitz, who she never spent time with these past days could see through her charade, she wondered if Skye could also see through her? Just the though of her friend knowing about her act and yet pretending that everything was normal frightened her.

Simmons took a deep breath, and as much as she was already feeling guilty, it was time to report to Coulson.

* * *

"Just like the last time." Coulson said as he glanced at May, who regarded him with the same intent look. He crossed his arms over his chest as he stared at the young scientist. "How can she find the vault where we're keeping the obelisk in such near-unconscious state?"

Simmons knew he was more like stating a thought than asking a question, but her scientist mind was just as full of questions as he was. "Sir, I think the obelisk has a pull on Skye. Maybe we don't see any signs when she's awake because there's a high probability that she's trying to fight it - her mood swings and mental exhaustion could be linked to it - without her knowing."

"But she cannot fight that _pull_ when she's asleep." May said.

"Or as soon as her mental defenses are down." Simmons added with a frown. "Last night, Sir, Skye stared at my direction. I believe she sensed me."

Coulson nodded his head. "Were there any other weird behavior that you have observed last night?"

"No, Sir." Simmons said weakly. "As soon as she touched the vault's door, she completely lost unconsciousness. Just like the other times"

"And she still hasn't shown any sign that can tell us she was aware Of what happened last night?" May asked.

Simmons shook her head. "Skye hasn't shown any sign that indicates she has any idea of what happened these past nights. She thinks it's just exhaustion."

Coulson glanced at May. "Have someone place the obelisk in a different vault, this time in one of the lowest levels of the base. I want it to be unreachable as possible from Skye."

"I strongly don't recommend that, Sir." Simmons suddenly cutting in.

"And what do you think we should do, Agent Simmons?" Coulson asked.

Simmons took a step forward. "I extremely recommend for the alien relic to be transferred, Sir. I think it's affecting Skye in ways that I cannot explain." She paused, then sighed. "I just... I don't think Skye's safe as long as the obelisk is in the headquarter, Sir."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote two versions of this chapter. But I thought this one suited best. The other one was too angsty and I didn't want my story to get there just yet. But I decided that the scenes I wrote on that version will come in handy soon. And I'm sorry if this chapter is lacking emotions. I had trouble connectin to it. :/ But I hope you liked it. :)  
> Anyway. i mentioned last time about a fic idea and I can't get the story out of my head. So I decided to show you guys the synopsis and ask for your opinions. So here it is:
> 
> "Skye hasn't been acting the same since the war with the Inhumans, and everyone on the team noticed it. Only Coulson and May knows what really happened on that day - how Jiaying tried to kill Skye. But the way she's been acting now -isolating herself from the group; devoting most of her time going after Inhumans; and basically walking around the headquarter with an empty expression- worried them all. Can Coulson and the team help Skye before she completely loses herself to the rising darkness inside her?" (post s2 finale) (jemma didn't get swallowed by the rock)

**Author's Note:**

> thank you for reading my story! :)


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